Returning Home
by Rue Nightrose
Summary: Coming home is one of the greatest feelings.. Pure fluff.


Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or any of its characters.

The dim morning light illuminated a cozy home within the Nara clan district. A lone man walked along the empty streets, his jet black hair pulled into a familiar spiky ponytail. When he reached the doorstep of his home, the shinobi carefullly double-checked to make sure his shoes were clean. 'That's all I need is for Ino to yell at me first thing in the morning.' Shikamaru thought to himself.

He entered into his home soundlessly, taking the sandals he wore off and placing them in the entryway. The ponytailed man moved into the kitchen, which was still and silent. Frowning slightly, Shikamaru turned around and went into the living room. There was no sign of his tiny wife. The jounin sighed quietly and moved to the staircase, taking the steps two at a time. When he reached the top floor, his observant brown eyes noted the master bedroom door was ajar.

A soft coo stopped Shikamaru from opening the door. The sound made his whole demeanor relax, and a smile came across his lips. The observant shinobi moved, working to make his movements noiseless. Peeking through the opened space, Shikamaru's face softened at the scene before him.

The blankets that Shikamaru was always so careful to make were strewn everywhere, shoved towards the end of the bed. Laying on the bed was his wife, clad only in one of his long-sleeved black shirts. Her soft hair was pulled into her customary ponytail and she had pushed her long bangs behind her ear. He watched as she cuddled their small daughter in her arms, the smile still on his lips.

Unwilling to break this moment, the proud father and husband continued watching his two favorite girls. Unaware that she was being watched, Ino nuzzled the fuzz of black hair their daughter was growing. The baby cooed, training her clear blue eyes - so much like her mother's - onto Ino's face. Laughing softly, Ino caressed her daughter's milk-white skin. They lay on their sides, facing each other in the middle of the large bed.

It was moments like this that Shikamaru lived for. When he was younger, he had been skeptical about his father's words. Yet in the years he had been with Ino, those words time and time again always came true. Ino was the strongest, bossiest, most demanding, aggressive, terrifying, and energetic woman he had ever met. In the tender moments they shared, she revealed a deeper, more gentle and loving side to him. That especially came true when their daughter had come along.

Fatherhood was terrifying for Shikamaru. He already lived with one demanding woman, now he had a miniature one, who was utterly helpless. Shikamaru always felt like he was doing something wrong, or hurting Haruka. Ino had shown him, with endless patience, how to hold their daughter, change, bathe, dress, and soothe her. She was amazing to him, and every day his fiery wife surprised him with something new.

Despite the scariness, being a father was one of the greatest things Shikamaru had been a part of. His daughter was so much more than he had ever hoped for. From the moment Ino told him they were going to be parents, to being able to sense the tiny life growing deep within Ino's womb, to listening to Haruka's rapid heartbeat, to gripping his wife's tiny hand as she bore down and birthed her, every moment had been surreal.

Haruka was exactly like her parents. It had been a running joke in their group of friends that their daughter would come out bossing them both around. She had done exactly that, loudly protesting when they attempted to introduce her to the custom crib Naruto and Chouji had built. The memory still brought a smile to the shinobi's face. It turned out that having Haruka in bed with them felt more natural than anything. 'It sure made nighttime feeds easier.'

A happy gurgle brought Shikamaru out of his reverie. Haruka's beautiful blue eyes were trained on Ino, as she made numerous faces at her daughter in an attempt to coax a smile. Instead the stubborn girl grabbed at her mother, making needy noises. With a small smile, Ino moved closer and began feeding their daughter. Shikamaru took that as his cue to enter.

Curled up with their daughter, Ino stayed where she was. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked, her eyes betraying her happiness at seeing him home safe.

"You'll never know." Her husband said, slowly stripping himself of his uniform. Joining his small family on the bed, he lay behind Ino's smaller form, her back pressing against the shinobi's large chest. Shikamaru would never admit it directly to his wife, but the extra weight she had gained during pregnancy was something he quite enjoyed. It was a few months after Haruka's birth, and his active wife had lost nearly all of the pregnancy weight. Still, he mused, Ino looked good when she wasn't so thin.

"We missed you," Ino told him, her hand reaching back to grab his. "Haruka has started grabbing at objects, and focusing on faces more."

Shikamaru squeezed her hand in a wordless reply. The warmth and safety of their bed, especially knowing his girls were right here made the ninja feel more at ease than anything else. Yes, there was nothing Shikamaru loved more than returning home to his family.


End file.
